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Much of Thomas\u2019s discussion of Jesus\u2019 resurrection has an \u201cAbelardian\u201d flavor. The resurrection is less an integral part of the \u201caccomplishment\u201d of redemption and more a support for the life of the believer. Of the five reasons given for the necessity of the resurrection, only one is about the achievement of salvation. The resurrection commends divine justice, confirms faith, raises hope, and sets in order the lives of the faithful ( ST <\/em> III, 53, 1). Finally, fifthly, he says that the resurrection completes ( complementum <\/em> ) the work of salvation; His death delivers from evil, the resurrection \u201cadvances us to good things.\u201d <\/p>\n When he turns to a discussion of the fittingness of a third-day resurrection, he stays in this \u201csubjective\u201d vein: If Christ had not been raised so soon, we\u2019d doubt His Godhead; if He had been raised instantly, we\u2019d doubt His humanity and the reality of His death; therefore \u201cChrist\u2019s resurrection was necessary for the instruction of our faith.\u201d Besides, the resurrection on the third day adds to the mysticism of the number 3. <\/p>\n But then this: <\/p>\n The third-day resurrection \u201csignified that a third epoch ( tertium tempus <\/em> ) began with the resurrection. To the eras ante legem <\/em> and sub lege <\/em> , the resurrection adds a tempus sub gratia <\/em> . Further, the resurrection initiates ( incipit <\/em> ) a third status <\/em> for the saints. Once saints were sub figuris legis <\/em> , then under the truth of faith ( veritate fidei <\/em> ), but there will be another state of eternal glory, which Christ\u2019s resurrection inaugurates ( quam Christus resurgendo inchoavit <\/em> ). <\/p>\n This is quite remarkable: The objective effect of the resurrection is to begin a new stage of human history, a new epoch or tempus <\/em> . Thomas also hints at an already-not yet structure to redemption by saying that the state of future resurrection is already inaugurated in Christ\u2019s own resurrection. Alongside his \u201cAbelardian\u201d pieties, Thomas gives a very \u201ckingdom-oriented\u201d understanding of the resurrection. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Much of Thomas\u2019s discussion of Jesus\u2019 resurrection has an \u201cAbelardian\u201d flavor. The resurrection is less an integral part of the \u201caccomplishment\u201d of redemption and more a support for the life of the believer. Of the five reasons given for the necessity of the resurrection, only one is about the achievement of salvation. The resurrection commends […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology-soteriology"],"yoast_head":"\n